A 49-year-old homeless man was arrested for allegedly setting a giant Christmas tree outside the Fox News building in midtown Manhattan ablaze early Wednesday. This is the biggest news of the year for the network. Craig Tamanaha was taken into custody hours later and charged with a list of crimes. According to police, the fire didn’t appear to be premeditated or politically motivated. The outrage from the right over the torched tree is weird.
The hosts of Fox & Friends consoled their viewers over the burnt tree, with Ainsley Earhardt dramatically promising to “rebuild it,” and I’m not sure how you rebuild a tree, but OK. And somehow, Fox News host Brian Kilmeade blamed “left-wing” officials. As if she’s vying for a gig at Fox News, Republican Party Chair Ronna McDaniel somehow linked President Joe Biden to the tree and suggested that the burned tree will be a “huge problem for Democrats.”
And now we have Tucker Carlson. Sigh.
“A Christmas tree is a symbol. It’s a symbol of a specific culture,” Carlson insisted. “It’s a symbol of a much-loved tradition that’s hundreds of years old. Above all, it’s a symbol of a religion, the world’s largest. Torching Christmas trees is an attack on Christianity.”
Watch:
A Christmas tree is a symbol. It’s a symbol of a specific culture. It’s a symbol of a much-loved tradition that’s hundreds of years old. Above all, it’s a symbol of a religion, the world’s largest. Torching Christmas trees is an attack on Christianity. pic.twitter.com/enFRpnT0mQ
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) December 9, 2021
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Twitter users piled in:
Nope. A Christmas tree is actually a Pagan symbol & has NOTHING to do with Christianity! pic.twitter.com/fLulFLg4Z9
— MetalassicalGal (@cw_janene) December 9, 2021
No it isn’t Tucker. I am a Christian. Torching a tree Isn’t nice but it’s not an attack on Christianity, Christians or Christos. It’s just a tree. It did not die to save us from damnation. It’s a decoration.
— Cheria (@Cheria63) December 9, 2021
Not quite sure how the Christmas tree relates to a religion. Don’t remember Jesus telling the apostles to chop down a tree and put stuff on it in remembrance of him. 🤷♂️🤷♂️
— Jordan siple (@SipleJordan) December 9, 2021
Actually its a pagan symbol.. pic.twitter.com/No57Zt5Ej0
— Stacy~TheUSAisBroken (@StacyLoveLife) December 9, 2021
Hey, genius. The idea of a “christmas” tree has pagan origins. And while I’m at it, when did a tree have anything to do with the birth of Jesus Christ, whose birthday didn’t even fall on December 25th?
— Dragonminded915 (@Dragonminded915) December 9, 2021
Pagans started the tradition of Christmas trees, and that decoration isn’t a symbol of Christianity. Jesus wasn’t even born in December. Christmas was chosen as a celebratory day on the same day as a pagan holiday that celebrated the winter solstice. And this tweet from comedian Stephen Colbert has riled up conservatives on Twitter.
Flaming Christmas Tree just got its own show on FoxNews!
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) December 9, 2021
It’s a tree, guys. Calm the hell down. As for Craig Tamanaha, it sounds like he has mental health issues.
Featured image via Political Tribune
